


Fears

by MsMaarvel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Comfort, Confession, M/M, No Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-01
Updated: 2013-09-01
Packaged: 2017-12-25 06:26:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/949744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsMaarvel/pseuds/MsMaarvel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco is forced to face a fear that stems from his childhood, but that doesn't mean he has to face it on his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fears

**Author's Note:**

> My first JeanMarco fic, I'm sorry for the relative lack of plot.

                Rain. It was raining and that had put a damper on everyone’s day, especially Marco. The usually cheery boy wore a sour expression and had bags under his eyes. He was listening to Connie claim to have slept through the ground-shaking thunder and bright bolts of lightning that had been a near-constant the previous night. Marco was jealous. He hadn’t been able to sleep due to a ridiculous fear of thunder storms from his childhood. He’d tossed and turned and listened to his roommates do the same. The difference between him and them is that they slept eventually; he didn’t. By now the thunder and lightning had ceased, but it was still raining.

                Sitting down next to Marco, toast in hand, Jean let out a yawn. “Do you know if we’re still having 3DMG training today?”

                “Rain or shine, yeah.” Marco sighed, poking at his half-eaten bowl of oatmeal.

                “Did you sleep at all?” Jean inquired, noting the bags beneath Marco’s eyes and his groggy actions.

                “Not a wink.” Was his only response.

                “I’m going to get ready for 3DMG training. Try not to pass out; you look just about ready to.” Connie bade Marco farewell and exited the mess hall.

                Only Sasha, Armin, Jean, and he were left. “I suppose I’d better get ready, too.” Marco stood, covering his mouth to stifle a yawn.

                Finishing his toast and standing, Jean said “I’ll come with you. Connie was right, you don’t look so good.”

                “I’ll be fine.” Marco insisted as they stepped outside into the downpour. They’d nearly made it to their room when a sudden peal of thunder shook the sky. Marco’s eyes grew wide and he fell on his backside.

                Jean hadn’t flinched, but when he saw Marco on the ground, he frowned. Jean offered him a hand to help him up. As a bolt of lightning flashed, Jean caught on to the fear in his eyes.

                Leading him to their dorm lined with bunks before another roll of thunder passed, upon entering, Connie saw Marco. “You’re all muddy!” he fretted, concern prominent on his face. He gave Jean a look of disapproval, as if he thought Jean might’ve pushed him into the mud or something.

                “Go catch up with everyone else.” Marco gave a tired smile. “I’ll be late, but I’ll join you soon, okay?”

                Nodding slowly, Connie double checked that his 3DMG was equipped correctly, and disappeared back into the rain.

                Sighing heavily, Marco got his 3DMG together. Jean did the same, and opted to start a conversation that was very short-lived. “You’re afraid, aren’t you?”

                “Yes. Since I was young. I’d sooner get over it, but it’s not easy.” Hastily connecting his gear, he mumbles “Don’t laugh.”

                “I’m not laughing.” He answered bluntly.

                Smiling lightly, but flinching when thunder was heard again, he and Jean made their way towards the training area.

* * *

 

                It was not a good session for anyone, Marco in particular. Everyone struggled in the mud, and leaping from wet trees proved more difficult than the trainees had predicted. Marco wound up tangled in his gear and drenched in mud time after time. His fear-induced flinches while using the gear made him misdirect his aim over and over. Annie seemed to be the most well-adjusted of the group, though she made her fair share of mistakes.

                Afternoon training had been called off due to the storm intensifying. During lunch Jean couldn’t spot Marco anywhere. Making his way back to the dorms through the torrential downpour, he saw a light on in their room.

                Upon entering, he saw Marco huddled in his bunk covered in a blanket with a book in his lap. Jean stood next to Marco, hesitant to sit because he was sopping wet. The other boy smiled when he noticed Jean’s presence, it calmed him to be near the blunt trainee. “I’m going to help you through this.” Jean decided. “Fears suck and I really can’t blame you for having one.”

                “Thank you.” Marco was grateful for Jean’s support. He momentarily wished Jean would sit next to him so he could warm him up, but dismissed the thought as silly and flipped to the next page of his book. Eventually, he shot Jean a question he wasn’t ready for. “Jean, do you have any fears?”

                This caught him off guard. “Nothing worth talking about, really.” He kept his gaze focused on his shoes. _The fear of rejection. The fear that he was falling, and falling hard for his best friend who couldn’t possibly like him back._ ”Really, it’s nothing.”

                “Okay, if you’re sure.” Marco didn’t want to push the subject if Jean didn’t want to talk about it. He did wonder what it could be, though.

Jean had to get out of there, quickly. “You weren’t at lunch. If you’re hungry, I could go back and grab you something quick.” Jean offered, removing his gaze from his shoes and glancing at Marco.

“I’m not hungry.” Marco lied. He didn’t want Jean to leave.

“Don’t lie.” Jean scolded. “You’re awful at it. I saw that you didn’t really eat breakfast, either. I’m gonna get you something.” He stood. _Why did he want to care for Marco so much? It was just a stupid crush, wasn’t it?_

As he opened the door, Marco tried to guilt him into staying. “You leaving really doesn’t help. You promised to help me through this and—JEAN!” he shouted after his friend who’d left in the middle of the attempted guilt trip.

Reiner entered the dorm then, gave Marco a confused look that shifted to understanding, and situated himself on his bed, pulling out some written work that would be due in the next week. He didn’t say a word to Marco.

Marco turned back to his book and was pleasantly distracted from the raging weather until a hand on his shoulder let him know Jean had returned. Taking the sandwich and apple Jean offered him, he thanks him.

“See? You survived. I was gone for ten minutes max. I would’ve been back sooner, but Yaeger tried to start something.” He grimaced, thinking of the passionate boy who wanted so badly to throw away his life killing titans. “Now, if you’ll excuse me I’d sooner not stay in sopping wet clothes.” Crossing the room, he changed from uniform to casualwear. It wasn’t like anything was going on for the rest of the day. Removing the blanket from his bed, he crossed the room and bundled up next to Marco.

                He was occupied with food for a bit, but once lunch had disappeared, Marco suggested that Jean face his fears, whatever they may be.

                Coughing, Jean shook his head. “It’s not something easy to face. I’m not making you climb a tree and wait for lighting to strike, am I?”

                “I’m not forcing anything upon you!” Marco protested, frowning “And I don’t believe that you would chase me up a tree.”

                “You’re right.” Jean sighed. “I wouldn’t force you up a tree. I wouldn’t force you to do anything.”

                “Oh for fuck’s sake, just kiss.” Reiner groaned. Jean sputtered, unable to think of an insult to respond with. “Jean has the biggest crush on you, Marco.” Were Reiner’s parting words, leaving the dorm after putting on a jacket.

                “I don’t- He’s not… How did he-?” Jean couldn’t pick one sentence to go with so he jumbled them all together and became very red in the face.

                “Jean. Jean, slow down.” Marco could barely understand the sentence fragments Jean was rambling on with.

                “My fear, Marco. It’s you. It’s always been you.” Jean said, regaining the ability to form sentences.

                This caught Marco by surprise. “Me? Why?” he awaited an explanation, but Jean was hesitant to give one.

                Finally, he just let it all spill. “I’m afraid of loving you. Afraid of how I’ve been falling for you every day since the start of training. Scared, I was so scared to tell you. So afraid and here I am, telling you and rambling. I can’t-” His continued rambling was cut short when Marco took Jean’s hand and laced their fingers together. “What are you doing?”

                “Getting comfortable.” He lay back. “You’re free to join me.” He added.

                As Jean lay down next to Marco, a roll of thunder startled the latter, who curled close to Jean. “That’s a fear that’s going to take a little work.”

                Marco nodded sheepishly. “I’ve got you. I think I’ll be able to show this storm who’s boss sooner or later.”

                His squeaking at a particularly loud peal of thunder prompted Jean to say “Later it is, then.”

                Not all fears are conquered easily by a push from a classmate.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this wasn't too awful to read! As always, fanart is wonderful, if you want to draw some just put it in the jeanmarco tag on tumblr or tag my url, I'd love to see it!


End file.
